20 Foods You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen

Healthy pantry staples

A well-stocked kitchen allows you to throw together a fast, flavorful meal after a long day. And, when you wake up and have to dash out the door for work, it pays to have grab-and-go breakfast andsnack options on hand. We tapped registered dietitians, personal chefs, and bloggers for their must-have foods to always keep in their kitchens. (And yes, they're all good for you, too.) Some you probably already have, while others you'll want to add to your list.

Next: Extra-virgin olive oil 

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Weight Loss Success Story: The Baby-Weight Whisperer

John Trice

Natalie Jill
43, 5'2"
San Diego
Before: 175 lb.
Dress size: 10/12
After: 113 lb.

Dress size: 2
Total pounds lost: 62 lb.
Sizes lost: 4

In my 20s and early 30s, I was obsessed with what I should and shouldn't eat. But when I got pregnant in 2007, I finally had an excuse to eat whatever I wanted, and I quickly piled on 50 pounds. Deep down I knew that I was overweight, but it wasn't until I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirrored window on a walk with my baby that I saw all the extra weight. Before I got pregnant, I was a motivator at my corporate job, pushing people to do their best; I needed to apply that same attitude to getting back in shape.

RELATED: Pregnant? How to Eat Right

Becoming a fitness force
My first goal was to simply get moving every day, even just by taking a walk outside. And I decided to re-up my nutrition and fitness-trainer certifications, which I had first gotten years ago. As I studied, I would test out each body-weight move and even make up some of my own. With each passing week, I could see myself growing stronger; I had muscle popping out everywhere.

New career kick-start
Next, I cut out processed foods. Posting photos of my meals on Facebook helped me drop the 50 pounds I'd gained, plus an additional 12, in less than two years. My friends and their friends were sharing my meals and workouts; I suddenly had a big social media following! So I created an e-book called 7 Day Jump Start, which got so popular that I founded Natalie Jill Fitness in 2012. I don't hide my backstory—gaining weight is just a reality for pregnant women—but I do let women know: You're not stuck with those pounds for life.

RELATED: How to Stick to a Workout Plan

Natalie's Knock-It-Off Tips
How did Natalie drop 62 pounds? With these smart strategies. Find even more tactics athealth.com/weight-loss-stories.

Inject some fun
When I'm looking for workout motivation, I pull out my favorite neon exercise clothes for a burst of energy. Plus, yellow and pink make me feel upbeat!

Hit the floor
My go-to: plank-based moves. They're great for shaping your abs and upper body. Just make sure you're engaging your core, keeping your glutes tight and tucking your pelvis under to protect your lower back.

Think: Healthy fats
I eat a lot of protein-packed meals filled with good fats. My favorite is shrimp with a ton of veggies, all cooked up in coconut oil.

RELATED: 17 High-Protein Snacks You Can Eat On the Go

Find your inspiration
My 420,000 followers on Instagram keep me going! Follow me at @nataliejillfit.

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10 Reasons Your Belly Fat Isn't Going Away

Lose the pudg

by Camille Noe Pagán
From Health magazine

A little bit of belly fat is actually good for you: it protects your stomach, intestines, and other delicate organs. But too much fat is anything but healthy. Extra fat cells deep in your abdomen (aka visceral fat) generate adipose hormones and adipokines—chemical troublemakers that travel to your blood vessels and organs, where they cause inflammationthat can contribute to problems like heart disease and diabetes. The good news? Every pound you shed can help reduce your girth. "Once women start losing weight, they typically lose 30% more abdominal fat compared with total fat," says Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, an endocrinologist at the Rush University Prevention Center in Chicago. Even better, the choices you make every day can supercharge your ability to burn belly fat. Here are 10 common pitfalls—and ways to undo each one.

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Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely

Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast.

Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on -- today!

You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.

Begin Your Personal Diet Evaluator Now

How to Lose Weight Fast

If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds.

If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more.

For instance, if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any further -- that's dangerous.

Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat.

"When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started," says Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC's The Biggest Loser show.

Diets for Fast Weight Loss

Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat.

Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet :

• Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get tempting foods out of your home.
• Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
• Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
• Don't skip meals.

Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.

"Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of Read It Before You 

Source:http://www.webmd.com/diet/lose-weight-fast-how-to-do-it-safely

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